Unrestricted-return water heater



Nov. 18, 1930. w. A. DALEY UNRIEJS'IRICTED RETURN WATER HEATER FiledApril 25. 1927- 2 Sheets-'Sheet l uw EL;

Nov. 18, 1930.

W. A. DALEY UNRESTRICTED RETURN WATER HEATER 2 sheets-smet 2 Filed April23. 1927 Patented Nov. 18, 1930 @UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WALTER A.DALEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO BELL & GOSSETT F CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS UN RESTRICTED-RETURN WATE'B :HEATERapplicati@ med April 23,

My present invention relates to the provision of a type of water heaterin which the heat transfer elements consist of one or more groups ofconverging or diverging tubes communicating at their converging ends andsecured in 4a transverse plate at Y their diverging ends. The heattransfer elements are associated either in a single group or in aplurality of groups with an exterior head to receive' the'exteriorconnections for supplying water to and conveying it from the heattransfer elements, and means arel provided for securing the head and thetransverse plate of the heat transfer element or elements about the edgelof a suitable aperpressure vcirculation therethrough. IA have' Y alsosecured a. iuncture'between the tubes of the heat transfer elements attheir converging ends by means ofa structure or fitting, the partswhereof are brazed or otherwise sealed together and to the ends of thetubes so as to provide even a greater capacity at nthe place of juncturethan either tube separately or bothtogether would afford. Such a fittingmay be made of a thickness of metal no greater than that of the heattransfer tubes themselves so as not to diminish .tt the heattransference during the passage of arrangement is lmportant as thisunavoidable bend in the path of travel 0f lthe water water through thefitting, and can be made tp conform vvery/.closely tothe shape of thetubes Without any kind of machine work, and will slide into a more"restricted space than any return bend pipe or cast fitting. This duringthe heat transfer ,process offers the greatest impediment to agravitational c irculation,\and by making the'juncture between theingoing and outgoingvtubes of the heat transfer portion of vgreatercapacity I have both improved the circulation through the system andimproved the juncture portion asa heat transfer element in itself.

4 shown in Fig. 5;

1927. Serial No. 186,061.

Accordingly as one or moregroups of heat transfer tubes are assembled attheir diverging ends with a single transverse plate they may be-employed with a number of different exterior heads .to facilitateassembly with a particular hot water circulating systemand for thepurpose of increasing the capacity of the apparatus for furnishing hotwater.

The design of structure heretofore -re ferred to is illustrated 4in theaccompanying drawing, in which- ,V

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, largely in central, longitudinal, vertical,section, of a complete assembly of a group of heat transfer tubes lwithan exterior head and boiler plate;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

F'g. 3 is a central, longitudinal section through the converging ends ofthe heat transfer tubes and the means for securinga juncture betweenthem;

COMPANY,

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the rear end plate of the structure forforming va juncture between the heat transfer tubes;

Fig. 5 is a central, longitudinal section `of a different form ofexternal head than that shown in Fig. 1, shown in assembly with ay,boiler plate and the heat transfer element;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the structure Fig. 7 is a rear elevationof the exterior head shown in Fig. 6;

- Fig. 8 is also a rear elevation of the structure shownin Fig. 6indicatingthe relation of two groups of heat transfer tubes thereto';

y Fig. 9\is a perspective shovfing the relation of the rear endsof twogroups of heat transfer units when Jised together.

'Similar reference characters have been employed throughout the severalviews to designate similarparts.

A singleunit or heat transfer element consists of two tubes, 15 and 16,of equal length disposed vertically, that is, one above theother, andheld .invslightly converging or divergin'g relation by meansof anlanterior or front" plate, 17, and a posterior or remote juncturelfitting, 18.

.The anterior plate, 17, is bored or other-p wise perforated for thepassage of the forward ends of the heat transfer tubes therethrough andis secured to the tubes a short distance back to their front ends bybrazing or sweating or in any other desired manner.

The remote, or posterior, ends of the heat transfer tubes are provided ashort distance in front of their rear ends with an exterior bead, 19.The member/ for securing a juncture between the rear ends of the heattransfer tubes is formed by taking a suitable length, 2O` of a muchlarger tube and deforming it until it is of an oblong outline. Thecenters of the forward edges of this length of tube 20 areinwardlycompressed, as shown at 21 in Fig. 3, to enter between the convergingends of the heat transfer tubes and 16. The rear edges of the heattransfer tubes are beveled as shown at 22 in Fig. 3, and when the heattransfer tubes are inserted in the front end of the length of tube up tothe beading 19, spelter is placed in the recess l formed by the bevel 22and the whole is heated until the above described parts are sweatedtogether. It will, of course, be understood that a like sealing of theparts together may be attained bythe use of any metal which may besimilarly lmelted and flowed into place. A very good and dependablejoint can be formed as above described, whereas if this operation isattempted by flooding the joint from the outside it will probably resultin dissolving and removing some of the metal of the tubes 15, 16 or 2Oin the hot spelter or fused metal which usually acts as a. solvent forcopper of which metal the heat. transfer tubes are usually made.

After this interior brazing or sealing has been done, a beveled rearend.plate, 23, is inserted in tlie length of tubing 20, against inwardlyextending bosses 23a providedto support the plate 23 while it is beingsealed in ,position` and spelter is again placed in the cavity formed bythe bevel, when a final heating secures the entire structure in aunitary or integral mass of ample strength and large capacity, relativeto the capacities of the tubes, and a somewhat more extended surface towhich the surrounding heated medium transmits heat by. conduction.

In Figs. 1 and 2 is shown a form of head which is extremely simple andwhich is arranged to take the feed and discharge pipes directly into itsface. This form of head comprises a casting 24 extended to provide ears25 at its two opposite ends, which ears are perforated, as at 26, forthe passage of stud bolts 27 tapped into the boiler plate 28.' Theforward face of the casting 24 is substantiallyA iat andthis isbored'and tapped at 29 and 30 .for assembly with the supply andLdischarge pipes. rl`he bores 29 and 30 communicatel with interiorchambers 31 and 32, separated by a partition, 33, which extendsrearwardly into the plane of the rear of the head. The chambers 31 and32 open rearwardly through apertures 34 and 35 and the rear face 36 ofthe casting 24 substantially registers with the forward face of theplate 17 heretofore described. f

The boiler plate is apertured at 37 for the passage of the tubes 15 and16 and a gasket 38 is employed between the rear face of the plate 17 andthe boiler plate.

Another gasket or Washer, 40, is interposed between the forward face ofthe plate 17 and the rear face 36 of the casting 24. Nuts 41 on theouter ends of the stud bolts 27 hold the castings 24, plate 17, andwashers v38 and 40, firmly to the boiler plate, 28, with any degree offorce which may be desired.

The head shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, is similar to that shown inFigs. l and 2 in all essential details except the body portion of thehead 24a has extending therefrom a neck 42 on the outer endwhereof is anenlargement 43, bored and tapped in its face at 29 and 30a, and alsolaterally both'in its bottom and top at 44 and 45.

In the head shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, it appears how, by merelyenlarging the rear opening 34a, the same head may be used for one or aplurality of groups of heat transfer tubes 15a and 16a. f

It should be noted that in each form of head the internal transversepartition 33 and 33n is transversely bored as at 46 and 461l to providea bleed hole so as to permit the flow of any air released from the waterfrom lower compartment-s 31 and 31a to upper colnpartments 32 and 32afrom which any such air is immediately discharged through the dischargeconnection.

In Fig. 9 is shown in fragmental detail the relation of the juncturefittings 18, when two groups of heat transfer units are employed in asingle head.

As will be seen from the foregoing description taken in connection withthe drawings, the tubes in each group of heat transferl` tubes 15 and 16are disposed vertically with respect to each other and at a slight angleto each other, so that when the axis of 'these tubes is arrangedhorizontally theV conduit provided by the tubes and their juncturefitting 18v either rises or falls throughout its entire length; Thisfacilitates both the gravitational and pressure circulation throughthese tubes, and the juncture fitting 18, having a capacity larger thaneither of the tubes taken separately or combined, does not act as adeterrent to circulation at the bend or change of direction in the flow.

Having described my inventionA what I claim as new and desire tosecureby Letters Patent is: f

1. In a water heater a heat exchange unit4 comprising a'group of tubesone end of which tubes bemg united in a casing, eomprlsmg a deformedlength of tubing with a closure for its rear end and the other ends ofwhich tubes are united by a transverse plate.

2. A fitting for joining a group of heat transfer tubes comprising alength 'of tubing deformed at one end to conform with the noncontiguoussurfaces of said heat transfer tubes which it receives and provided witha closure at the rear end.,

3. A fitting for joining a group of heat transfer tubes comprising alength of tubing deformed at 'one end to conform with the non-contiguoussurfaces of the heat transfer tubes which it receives and havinginterior projections at its other end co-operating with a closure forsaid end.

4. A fitting for joining a group of heat transfer tubes comprising alength of tubing deformed at one end to conform with the non-contiguoussurfaces of the heat transfer tubes which it receives and means at itsother end for locating and co-operating with a. closure plate for saidend.

5. Means for effecting a juncture between a group of heat transferconduits compris, ing a length of tube deformed at one end to thenon-contiguous forms of said conduits, a closure plate for the other endthereof, and

means on said latter end for locating and cooperating With said closureplate.

6. In a Water heater, a heat exchange unit comprising a group of tubesinclined andhaving their contiguous portions sealed directly together atone end, a length of tubing deformed at one end to conform to the non#contiguous surfaces of said tubes which it receives, a closure for theother end of said. deformed tube, and means for securing the other ends`of said group of tubes in spaced relation.

` WALTER A. ,DALEY.

